CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA | LIVE PREVIEW
At first glance, Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita may look like an unusual pairing; Finch a celebrated classical harpist from the weather-beaten climes of Ceredigion, and Keita a leading player of the traditional kora, or the West African harp, from the tropical savannas of Senegal, West Africa. Look closer though, and you will realise that whilst they are from seemingly opposite ends of the globe, the harp features prominently in both Celtic and West African musical traditions, and both areas have a bardic tradition of intricate oral history, expressed through music and verse steeped in their cultural heritage.
With this in mind, it is perhaps no surprise then that the pair have managed to combine two extremely different musical styles by getting to the core fundamentals that both styles share, leading to a beautiful, flowing and coherent blend of music with an extremely fresh and original sound captured on their new album Clychau Dibon, described as a ‘‘unique marriage of virtuosity and strings’’. Promising to be an enthralling live spectacle, take the chance to see this uniquely beautiful collision of cultures when they play in Llanelli in November.
The Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Fri 8 Nov. Tickets: £14 (Conc. £12). Info: 0845 2263510 / www.theatrausirgar.co.uk
words: STEPHEN SPRINGATE
photos: JOSH PULMAN
